Natural Standard in The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal recently consulted Natural Standard to discuss the available scientific evidence on alkaline water.

Kangen Water™ is the brand name of alleged health-enhancing alkaline water that is created through the process of electrolysis. Electrolysis separates "normal" tap water (H2O) into two parts: acidic H+ molecules and alkaline OH- molecules. Kangen Water™ advocates believe that the pH level of the body's internal fluids affects every living cell in the body, and that over-acidification of the body may lead to chronic diseases.

In the article "The Positives and Negatives of Ionized Water," reporter Laura Johannes discusses the increased interest in water ionizers in the United States.

"Human evidence is lacking, safety profile is lacking and it's very expensive," Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, Founder and CEO of Natural Standard, told The Wall Street Journal.

Many controversial laboratory studies and positive anecdotal reports have been published in Japan and Korea attesting to the health benefits of ionized alkaline water in humans and animals. Reports range from the successful treatment of skin conditions with alkaline water, to the treatment of gynecological conditions, heart disease, weight problems, premature aging, diabetes, allergies and cancer. However, credible scientific evidence is lacking to support these claims.

For more information about alkaline water, please visit Natural Standard's Environmental & Global Health Database.

Comments

[J Squared]

The bottom line monograph on the Natural Standard Database on Kangen water is quite informational. I particularly liked the story about the Rumanian scientist who traveled to the Himalayas and parts of China in order to figure out whether or not the glacial alkaline water that was supposedly contributing to the people’s longevity, could be done artificially. Many years later, science has come very far, and able to create this alkaline water, and according to the article it may not be all that it was thought of to be.

[Tony]

This article on ionized water is lacking scientific evidence. In the article, one physician states that when food and water are digested, they ultimately end up leaving the stomach at a pH of 6.8, regardless of what has been ingested. The same physician also points out that the body has various mechanisms to regulate overall pH to a narrow window of 7.35-7.45. This is certainly true. Another physician in the article states that ingesting just the ionized water will not cause the body to release stomach acid, thereby allowing the ionized water to pass to the small and large intestines where it will be absorbed in its alkaline (basic) state. This same physician states that drinking this water with food would be pointless. This is in agreement with the afore mentioned physician. I don’t know who to believe. Regardless, it seems to me that continuous ingestion of large amounts of alkaline substances would ultimately cause the body to lose its ability to regulate pH in the narrow 7.35-7.45 window, thus causing a serious health issue. Any thoughts? Also, oral medications are tested in humans at regular pH with regular water. The absorption of some medications into the body may be dramatically affected by changing the pH of the stomach or intestines. This is concerning.

[Marina]

Is alkalizing or acidifying water connected with oxidation and therefore antioxidants? My line of thinking: oxidation means the loss of an electron, which leads the particle into a (+) state which is generally associated with acidity (H+). And anti-oxidants are generally considered healthy since they prevent oxidative damage. I am just trying to figure out the reasoning behind why alkaline or acidic environments might theoretically be more or less beneficial.

[Empire Bakuba]

Humans have been around for ages and have evolved without ionized water. I believe the bodies natural homeostasis can adjust to accommodate high or low ph levels. I don't think this is needed.

[Jennelle]

I had no earthly idea about the use of ionized water before reading this article! Call me a skeptic but the idea of it all seems somewhat questionable and the evidence supporting its use appears lackluster. Moreover, it seems to be an unduly expensive modality. Until further evidence is available, I will remain cynical.

[Virginia]

This is very interesting. I have several friends that follow a diet that tries to focus on foods that are basic and try to minimize the acidic foods in their diet. I actually haven't heard of making your water basic. I do have to wonder how this would actually work. As we all know, water is great because it can act as an acid or base. Once in the body the chemical properties can change. For instance, citrus fruits actually are considered "basic" foods. I just don't know if there is enough evidence to show if this new alkaline water would stay alkaline. There is definitely not enough evidence showing what difference it would make. I think people should just focus on drinking more water in general and that alone would benefit their health.

[Marina]

Reading Laura Johannes' article has made me more interested in this topic. According to the dictionary of Natural Standard, electrolysis is "decomposition of a salt or other chemical compound by means of an electric current." This makes me wonder how long do the H+ and OH- water particles actually stay separated? I would imagine they would be attracted to each other and soon reform the water molecule. It does not make sense to me how electrolysis will make water more acidic or more basic. Can somebody shed more light on this if they know?